France's Le FabShop has extensive experience testing 3D printers and creating digital models for them. From an articulated Makey Robot to a posable elephant model, Samuel N. Bernier, Bertier Luyt, and the rest of Le FabShop's team have created some of the most-printed designs in the 3D printing world. Bored of pointless 3D printer projects? Out of 3D printing ideas? Check out our list of 50 cool things to 3D print which are actually useful. Tinkercad is a free, easy-to-use app for 3D design, electronics, and coding. How to create your 3d printing logo design If you want an amazing 3d printing logo that stands out from the competition, work with a professional designer. Find and hire a designer to make your vision come to life, or host a design contest and get ideas from designers around the world. Check out our list of the best sites to download free STL files and 3D printer models, 3D printer files, and 3D printing designs in other file formats.
- 3d Printing How To Design
- Creating Designs For 3d Printing Paper
- Creating Designs For 3d Printing Shapes
- Creating Designs For 3d Printers
- Creating Designs For 3d Printing Designs
Top 10 (Mobile) 3D Modeling Apps to Design and 3D Print on the Go
3D printing is getting mobile. The options available to create, view or convert your 3D designs from your smartphone or tablet are growing every day with new apps and features. Today we present you with some suggestions for mobile apps that will make your life easier. For students, professionals or enthusiasts, there is a mobile 3D design app for everyone.
3DC.io
This small Estonian start-up has created an easy and extremely intuitive app for 3D design. 3DC has a very simple interface that makes it a good option for beginners or children and young people who want to start designing. This app for 3D design has a focus on education. 3DC.io offers discounts for schools and helps teachers to integrate 3D design in their curriculums.
Features in 3DC are uncomplicated and include a gallery where users can upload their designs or where newbies can get some inspiration, as well as templates to work on. This 3D Mobile app is free but you can upgrade with a monthly or yearly fee. With 3DC.io you can also export your designs to .OBJ to edit them or to .STL to print them. Once you have converted your model to this format, you can easily upload it to i.materialise to print it.
- Ideal for: Beginners, kids and young students
- Available for:Android, iOS, Web and Desktop
- Price: Free
Pro version for $2.99 per month or $14.99 per year - Languages: English, Estonian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Finnish, Japanese, Russia
3DC.io
Morphi
A mobile app for 3D design with a focus on visualization. You can design your models for 3D printing and place them in the real world thanks to its virtual reality feature. Morphi is designed to be used on iPads. It uses templates and ready-made shapes that can be manipulated with the tools in the app. The idea behind this 3D app, released by a New York start-up called The Inventery, is to democratize 3D design. There are many tutorials and videos available to learn more.
Also focused on education, Morphi App offers licensing discounts for schools, as well as online and offline workshops about 3D printing and virtual and augmented reality.
- Ideal for: Beginners and Schools
- Available for:iPad and Mac, Windows (in beta)
- Price: Free
For a $9.99 single purchase you can access extra features (view designs in AR, export to .STL and .OBJ or import .STL). When buying more than 20 licenses there is a 50% discount. Free 15-day trial - Languages: English
Microsoft 3D Builder
3D Builder is a Microsoft app for 3D modeling and printing. The app has been a standard feature on Windows PC since 2013, and is now also available for Windows 10 Mobile and Xbox. With this app, Windows phone users can view, capture, personalize and print their models from their smartphone.
Android emulator freeware. The mobile 3D Builder app is optimized for a touchscreen interface, making it easier to tweak and repair models on the go. From 3D Builder, users can send their models directly to i.materialise and get professional 3D prints in a variety of finishes and colors. 3D Builder supports many 3D file formats such as 3MF, STL, OBJ, PLY, and WRL. Facebook video chat on laptop.
- Ideal for: Basic modeling and changes
- Available for: Windows 10 Phone
- Price: Free
Umake
Pen and paper meet 3D design with this app for iOS. Tuneskit audio capture 2 1 0 23 cm. Umake allows you to turn your sketches and doodles into professional 3D models. This award-winning 3D design tool focuses its efforts on tutorials and weekly video tips. To 3D print the designs, it is possible to export them in OBJ, STEP and IGES format. The pro option offers unlimited exports and imports up to 25MB. Umake is also the most colorful app for 3D modeling! The app has an extensive community where users can share their designs, get inspired and give feedback to each other.
- Ideal for: Designers starting on 3D and anybody looking for some fun
- Available for:iOS
- Price: Free
Pro option for $9.99 per month or $99 per year - Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese
Umake
Onshape
Onshape is a complete cloud 3D CAD system that lets members of a team work simultaneously from their browser, phone or tablet. You can 3D print your models on Onshape directly from the web, downloading the i.materialise 3D printing plugin, available on the Onshape browser.
Learn how to install the i.materialise plugin and 3D print with Onshape.
- Ideal for: Professional designers and engineers who work in teams
- Available for:Android, iOS and web
- Price: Free for educative purposes. $125 per month for professional use. Free trial available
- Languages: English, German, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
Shapr3D
This is a professional 3D CAD app for iPad, especially created for iPad Pro, which works with an Apple Pencil. On other iIPads Shapr3D works as a CAD file viewer but it's not possible to edit the files.
This mobile app is useful for the first ideation stages of 3D designs. The professional option offers unlimited workspaces, image export and import, export to CAP apps and colors.
- Ideal for: Industrial designers, engineers and creatives.
- Available for: iOS. For iPad Pro
- Pricing: Free
Pro version $8.25 per month when billed yearly
- Language: English
Shapr3D
SketchUp Viewer for Mobile
The mobile app for SketchUp is not here yet, but with this viewer app you can view your 3D models on your phone and tablet.
This app is focused on accessibility, so you can connect the app to storage services like 3D Warehouse, Dropbox, Google Drive, Trimble Connect or email inboxes. With SketchUp Viewer, users can access many different views with section planes, perspective cameras, layer visibility and even an x-ray mode. Beginners who have never worked with this software, can read these tips and tricks for 3D printing with SketchUp.
If you feel generous, it might be good to know that SketchUp goes a step further in its visualization, with a feature for HoloLens. For $1499 you can use the mixed reality feature on your device.
- Ideal for: Professionals who work with SketchUp
- Available for:Android, iOS and Desktop
- Languages: English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish
- Price: $9.99
eDrawings
Another option for viewing and sharing 3D files is eDrawings from Solid Works. eDrawings is a professional 2D and 3D CAD collaboration for smartphones and tablets. It's possible to view models in a real context with AR, as well as opening files from cloud storage services. Users can zoom, pan and rotate files with the multi-touch feature.
- Ideal for: Professionals who work with Solid Works
- Available for: Android, iOS, Windows and Mac
- Languages: English
- Price: $9.99
Thingiverse
This is not a 3D design mobile app, but one that can help you turn your ideas into 3D models. Thingiverse is a database for 3D models and designs, perfect for those who don't have the time or skills to create their own 3D designs. Thingiverse has a very active community that offers free .STL files that you can just download and easily print on our platform. With this 3D app for Android you can browse and choose your favorite design from your sofa.
- Ideal for: People who want to 3D print but don't want to design from scratch
- Platform: Android
- Price: Free
- Languages: English
Qlone
A hat in time 1 0 download free. We recently explained all you need to know about this 3D scanning mobile app. With Qlone you can easily scan small objects and turn them into 3D models to edit and print. Imovie won t save video. With the integration of i.materialise on the app, you can print your models from your phone. Learn more on how Qlone works and start 3D scanning today.
- Ideal for: Getting inspiration from the real world and turning objects into 3D models to print
- Platform: iOS
- Language: English
- Price: Free
Some payment features on a credit-based system
3d Printing How To Design
As you can see, the future of mobile apps for 3D design and 3D printing looks bright, as many apps are still improving and evolving their features.
Creating and editing your models on the go is a great option for curious and creative minds or busy professionals. Once you have tweaked your models, you can export them in .STL or any other compatible file format with i.materialise and upload them to our platform to 3D print.
The biggest misconception for 3D printing is that anyone can easily design parts and print them instantly. Even with recent advances in consumer-level 3D printing, 3D printing has yet to allow anyone to print parts without already having experience or spending the time to learn about the process. This guide breaks down the essentials on how to create designs for 3D printing if you are new to 3D printing or are struggling to achieve good results.
Know your technology
There are 7 main categories of 3D printing technology and each one is unique. There are different design guidelines for each. FDM uses spools of thermoplastic filament that gets heated in the hot end of the 3D printer and deposited in lines layer by layer. Since a majority of hobbyist printing uses FDM, I will focus on this type for this post.
Know your CAD and slicing software
Not all design softwares are the same, and there is usually separate 'slicing' software needed to take your 3D model file and convert to to a g-code file that the machine understands. You should use whatever computer aided design (CAD) software you are most comfortable with when creating files to be 3D printed.
If you are new to CAD, we highly recommend Autodesk Fusion 360. The software is fully featured, fairly intuitive, and is free for hobbyists and students. Meshmixer is another good free tool from Autodesk to directly create, adjust, and repair stl files. Other free CAD options to check out include Blender, OpenSCAD, Google SketchUp, and TinkerCAD.
Materials to create designs for 3D printing
Creating Designs For 3d Printing Paper
For FDM style printers, there is a limitation to materials that can be printed. Even with 'metal' and 'wood' filaments in recent years, all filaments are a majority thermoplastic based. PLA and ABS are the most common and PETG is growing in popularity. Exotic filaments based off of nylon and polycarbonate can be more difficult to print with and may not be compatible with your printer. It is important to consider the material requirements you need for your part when designing and selecting a material. ABS and polycarbonate have higher strength but are more likely to warp and print at higher temperatures. If you do not need the added strength, then choose PLA or PETG as they are much easier to print with. Also, PLA is biodegradable and PETG is recyclable.
Print surface and size
As you begin the design process, it is critical to make sure that your part can fit within the print dimensions of the printer you are using. Many hobbyist printers are on the scale of 200mm x 200mm x 200mm, making large parts impossible to print. One way around this is to split up a larger part into multiple smaller parts and adhere or fasten them together after you print.
With FDM printing, the print surface is critical to the fidelity of the print. Objects that have only round surfaces, such as a sphere, require extra support structure to be created to print the part. Keeping in mind which flat surface you would like your part to print on during the design process will make your part much easier to print.
Overhang rule to minimize support
Once you know your prefered print surface on your part, your goal is to minimize support structures required. This is achieved by reducing.
Minimum feature detail and wall thickness
As with any type of material and manufacturing method, the minimum feature detail and wall thickness must be considered. FDM 3D printers will generally print down to 1mm wall thickness without any issues. Lower than that will require testing. Any small features such as points, lines, holes, corners, and text are also subject to this rule. Features that are too small will become deformed or removed entirely, so consider feature size during the design process.
File resolution and units
Creating Designs For 3d Printing Shapes
When saving your files, be wary of your STL file save settings. Err on the side of caution and save your files with the highest resolution reasonably possible. This will help ensure smooth prints on curved surfaces. Alternatively, saving your files in very low resolutions can be used a fun design feature called low-poly, where the shape is printed in low-resolution triangles to give it a jagged look.
Chamfer up, radius sides
For nice surface finish and ease of printing, design your parts with chamfers up from the build surface, and fillets as viewed from above. This concept relates back to the overhang rule with FDM 3D printing. Radius edges from the build surface break the rule while 45 degree chamfers do not. Fillets can be used in any other areas of a part except for print surfaces and overhangs.
Holes are prefered printed vertically
Vertically printed holes develop very well in parts. However, horizontal holes will suffer from the overhang rule and will become slightly or highly deformed. Large holes generally require support structure while smaller holes can be printed without issue.
Teardropping or support structure is recommended for holes larger than 10mm. Unless adjusted for in the print settings or in the design, horizontal holes tend to turn out slightly oval shaped with the horizontal dimension oversized and the vertical dimension undersized.
Threaded holes
There are 3 main methods to do threaded holes in 3D printed parts. The first is to design threads into the part and print the threads. This only works if the threads are large enough as it relates to the minimum feature size discussed above. The second method is to print a straight hole and then tap the hole after the part is finished. This requires having a tapping tool and the patience to use it for every hole that needs to be threaded. The third method consists of self tapping the holes with the fastener used. Self-tapping or thread forming screws for plastic are designed for this and perform very well. Other options include wood screws and machine screws, but require tighter tolerances of the printed parts.
Free part complexity
One of the best characteristics of 3D printing is that part complexity is essentially free. Added cuts, patterns, or intricate details in traditional manufacturing methods would quickly increase the part or mold cost. 3D printers are mostly concerned with the amount of material used, so feel free to design complexity and patterns into any parts. Unlike other technologies, 3D printing permits parts located within parts and assemblies printed together at once, opening up the design space to some unique and innovative creations.
Free infill complexity and percentage
File resolution and units
Creating Designs For 3d Printing Shapes
When saving your files, be wary of your STL file save settings. Err on the side of caution and save your files with the highest resolution reasonably possible. This will help ensure smooth prints on curved surfaces. Alternatively, saving your files in very low resolutions can be used a fun design feature called low-poly, where the shape is printed in low-resolution triangles to give it a jagged look.
Chamfer up, radius sides
For nice surface finish and ease of printing, design your parts with chamfers up from the build surface, and fillets as viewed from above. This concept relates back to the overhang rule with FDM 3D printing. Radius edges from the build surface break the rule while 45 degree chamfers do not. Fillets can be used in any other areas of a part except for print surfaces and overhangs.
Holes are prefered printed vertically
Vertically printed holes develop very well in parts. However, horizontal holes will suffer from the overhang rule and will become slightly or highly deformed. Large holes generally require support structure while smaller holes can be printed without issue.
Teardropping or support structure is recommended for holes larger than 10mm. Unless adjusted for in the print settings or in the design, horizontal holes tend to turn out slightly oval shaped with the horizontal dimension oversized and the vertical dimension undersized.
Threaded holes
There are 3 main methods to do threaded holes in 3D printed parts. The first is to design threads into the part and print the threads. This only works if the threads are large enough as it relates to the minimum feature size discussed above. The second method is to print a straight hole and then tap the hole after the part is finished. This requires having a tapping tool and the patience to use it for every hole that needs to be threaded. The third method consists of self tapping the holes with the fastener used. Self-tapping or thread forming screws for plastic are designed for this and perform very well. Other options include wood screws and machine screws, but require tighter tolerances of the printed parts.
Free part complexity
One of the best characteristics of 3D printing is that part complexity is essentially free. Added cuts, patterns, or intricate details in traditional manufacturing methods would quickly increase the part or mold cost. 3D printers are mostly concerned with the amount of material used, so feel free to design complexity and patterns into any parts. Unlike other technologies, 3D printing permits parts located within parts and assemblies printed together at once, opening up the design space to some unique and innovative creations.
Free infill complexity and percentage
In slicing software, there is the option to change infill types and percentage. One major benefit to 3D printing is that parts do not have to be 100% filled with material. This allows you to save on material costs and print time when you need. 20% infill is very common for parts and it gives you roughly 50% of the strength compared to 100% infill. Save on plastic usage by reducing infill and outer wall layers in your parts.
Creating Designs For 3d Printers
Tolerances
Tolerances will vary depending on your 3D printer. FDM printers will range from +/- 0.1mm to 1mm tolerance. For general use printers, the tolerance should be +/- 0.5mm, while professional printers can get to +/- 0.1mm. It is important to note that there is surface texture from the layer depositing process in the direction of the Z-axis of the printed part. If this is unacceptable, there are post processing techniques such as sanding, acetone vapor smoothing, and filler primer painting that can be used to smooth the parts.
Creating Designs For 3d Printing Designs
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